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Taster’s Cherce

I had dinner with a friend last week and asked him, “What’s your favorite vegetable?

“Asparagus,” he said without flinching.

“Really? You don’t mind that it makes your pee smell funny?”

“No, I love that, man.”

Go figure.

For the longest, I didn’t dare try asparagus and funny-smelling pee was the least of it. But I’ve learned to like asparagus in spite of that peculiar side effect. So I was eager to try a slow-cooking method that I saw in the Times last week.

I made it last night and it was tasty. Props to Melissa Clark for the article.

[Photo credit: Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times]

Categories:  Bronx Banter  Taster's Cherce

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11 comments

1 ms october   ~  Apr 19, 2010 12:17 pm

haha that must have been a funny conversation to over-hear at a restaurant.

yeah i stayed away from asparagus for many years - but though it's not my favorite veggie i do like it a lot.
there is something about asparagus and prosciutto together that is really good.

i also read once that not everyone's pee smells after eating asparagus - only those people who are able to break down the asparagus.

2 RIYank   ~  Apr 19, 2010 12:30 pm

Oh, man, I love asparagus. Cooked almost any method, as long as it isn't too fussy. I agree, ms. Oct., that it has an affinity for prosciutto. Yum. We're growing a bunch now (not prosciutto!). It takes years to get a good bed of asparagus.
Grilling is probably my favorite method, if the spears are on the thick side; just steaming for the very thin ones.

The affect on the smell of my urine is not a big issue for me, and I find it a bit disturbing, Alex, that you are so concerned about it...

(The Rays have finished pounding the daylights out of Lackey and are now taking aim at Scott Atchison.)

3 Alex Belth   ~  Apr 19, 2010 12:56 pm

LOL. Nah, I got over that. LOL

Great with salty ham, you are right. And wonderful with tarragon too.

4 RIYank   ~  Apr 19, 2010 1:10 pm

Whew!
Also, in risotto. Mmmmm.

5 thelarmis   ~  Apr 19, 2010 1:51 pm

YUCK!!!

6 rbj   ~  Apr 19, 2010 1:52 pm

[2] Agree on the grilling & steaming. My mom is allergic to many raw fruits & veggies, so growing up most of the veggies had the shit boiled out of them, making them tasteless. Only after college, out on my own when I started cooking them myself did I experiment with grilling, steaming, stir frying, etc. Much better those ways.

7 51cq24   ~  Apr 19, 2010 1:57 pm

what's your favorite vegetable, alex? i think mine is cauliflower right now. or broccoli or kale. but if you count sweet potatoes, which i think is unfair, it's that. and what about edamame or other legumes? are chickpeas a vegetable? what about other fruits commonly called vegetables like tomatoes and zucchini?

8 Alex Belth   ~  Apr 19, 2010 2:01 pm

Probably carrots only because it's the veggie I eat most.

9 Diane Firstman   ~  Apr 19, 2010 2:10 pm

[7]

(head explodes)

10 Diane Firstman   ~  Apr 19, 2010 2:15 pm

My faves (no particular order):
Zucchini
Eggplant
Mushrooms
Peas
Garbanzos
Fresh-picked corn
Red Peppers (raw or roasted)
Sun-dried tomatoes

11 boslaw   ~  Apr 19, 2010 4:11 pm

favorite veggie = brussels sprouts

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